Safety-receptacle.



W, WINKELMANN.

SAFETY REGEPTAGLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13,1910.

Patented July 23, 1912.

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SAFETY-BEGEPTAGLE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VERNER VVINKEL- MANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and- State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Safety-Receptacle, of which the following 'isa full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to a receptacle in which may be deposited bottlescontaining milk or other merchandise, so as to prevent the same frombeing tampered with by unscrupulous persons when the vender leaves themoutside of the buildings.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which will be simplein construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, durable, simple inits operation, and perfectly secure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a receptacle whichnormally is maintained unlocked, but which may be automatically lockedor placed in a receptive locking condition by the insertion therein of afull milk bottle or other merchandise.

These and further objects, together with the construction andcombination of parts, will be more fully described hereinafter andparticularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying, drawings forming a part ofthis specifi-' cation, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure l is avertical section showing the lock plate in its locking position; Fig. 2is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the receptaclelocked; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the mechanism forcontrolling the locking plate, illustrating the lock plate in itsnon-locking posi tion; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary viewsimilar to Fig. 2, showing the receptacle in its unlocked condition.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of the device, 1indicates an outer casing, which is provided with a cover 22, adjustablysecured thereto in any well known manner, as by means of hinges :5.Within the casing 1 there may be provided an auxiliary casing 2,preferably spaced apart from the casing 1 a sufiicient distance to forman air space, so that the material within the casing 2 may be kept coolin Specification'cf Letters Patent.

Application filed July 13, 1910.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Serial No. 571,807.

summer and be prevented from freezing in winter. This space between thecasings 1' and 2 may, if desired, be filled with nonconducting material,or the casings them-, iselves may be coated with asbestos, to preventthe change in temperature within' the easing 2 due to the difference intemperature outside the casing 1.

Within the casing 2, there is provided a receptacle 4, which may be ofany suitable character, and is adjustably mounted in the casing 2.so asto have 1ts posltlon varled by the weight of merchandise placed therein,such. as a full milk bottle 25. The casing 2 may be provided, ifnecessary, at the lower end, with openings 20 to permit the exit of theair entrapped by the downward movement of the receptacle 4, so that theoperation of the device will not be interfered with. The weight of thereceptacle 4 may be counterbalanced to a greater or less extent by anysuitable means, such as a counterbalancing weight, or, as illustrated,by means of springs 5, which are secured at one end to pins 6, securedto the receptacle 4 and projecting through slots 7 in the casing 2,

and at their other ends to either the casing 2 or the casing l.

The object of having the receptacle 4 movable and counterbalanced in themanner described, is so that it may render locking mechanism, comprisinga spring lock 8 and a lock plate 9, operative or inoperative, accordingto whether the receptacle 4 is occupied by merchandise, such as a fullmilk bottle, or unoccupied.

For the purpose of controlling the lock-' ing mechanism, the lock plate9 in this case is shown to be movable, so that, its aperture may bemoved into or out of cooperative relation with the spring latch 11 ofthe spring lock 8. In the form shown in the drawings, the lock plate 9is shown as slidingly mounted on a guide 12 and provided with a cutoutportion 13, which is adapted to be engaged by an operating member in theform of a bell crank lever 14 pivoted to a lock casing 15, secured inany well known manner to the casing of the receptacle. The bell cranklever 14 is provided on that arm which does not engage the lock plate 9,with a bifurcated portion, the forks of which engage on opposite sidesof a pin 16, which extends through a slot 17, and is secured to themovable receptacle 4, whereby the movements of the receptacle 4 aretransmitted to the bell crank lever 14:, and thus to the plate 9.

It will be seen that the lock plate 9 has a cut-out portion 18 at thepoint where the latch 11 is adapted to project across the lock plate.

The operation of the device will be readily understood when taken inconnection with the above description. The receptacle 4 is socounterbalanced in this case by ad justing the tension of the springs 5,that it will be depressed by a full milk bottle, but will maintain itsnormal upper position when it carries only an empty milk bottle. It willthusbe seen that a person can place the empty milk bottle in thereceptacle 4: over night, and close the cover, but, inasmuch as theempty milk bottle is insufficient to depress the receptacle, the lockplate 9 will be in the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, such thatthe latch 11 will not have a locking opening to engage with, so that thecover 22 will not be locked to the remainder of the receptacle as awhole. In this condition of affairs, it is not necessary that themilkman shall have a key, but he can merely raise the cover, remove theempty bottle, and place therein a full bottle. The weight of the fullbottle, however, is suflicient to depress the receptacle 4, so that thelock plate 9 is moved from the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4: tothe position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, where the latch 11 will slideinto the opening 10 in this locking plate, and inasmuch as. this latch11 is operated by the automatic spring lock 8, it will secure the cover22 closed onto the remainder of the receptacle 4, so that it can beopened only by utilizing a key, which the owner of the house is providedwith.

It will thus be seen that milk or other merchandise can be deliveredwithout disturbing the occupants of the houseearly in the morning, sothat it will be secure from being tampered with by malicious andthieving parties.

Of course, it is to be understood that the dimensions of the receptacleit may be enlarged to accommodate more than one milk bottle, or, ifdesired, the receptacle 41- may be used merely as a key member for acom- .partment over which the cover 22 extends,

which is sufficient to contain a plurality of milk bottles or a largervolume of merchandise.

While I have shown one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to belimited to the specific details thereof, but desire to be protected invarious changes, modifications andalterations which may come within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination with a casing, of a cover for saidcasing, a lock plate movably mounted on said casing and having anopening therein, said lock having a latch bolt adapted to engage saidopening, said lock plate being adapted to shift into and out ofcooperative relation with said latch bolt, a receptacle movably mountedin said casing, springs for counterbalancing said receptacle, a pin onsaid receptacle, and a bell crank lever pivotally mounted in said casingand having a bifurcated portion engaging said pin, whereby said bellcrank lever is operated from said pin, said lock plate having a cut outportion adapted to be engaged by said bell crank lever, whereby saidlockplate is slid back and forth by the movement of said receptacle.

2. The combination with a casing, of a cover for said casing, a lockplate slidingly mounted in said casing so as to move transverselythereof, said lock plate having an opening therein, a spring lock onsaid cover, having a latch bolt adapted to engage said opening in saidlock plate, and means for maintaining said opening normally out ofalinement with said latch bolt, adapted to be manipulated by thecontents of said casing to bring said opening in said lock plate intoalinement with said latch bolt by sliding said plate transversely ofsaid casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WERNER WIN KELMANN.

Witnesses:

HoRA'rIo WHITING, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

\ Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents.

. Washington, I). C.

